Lamp mounting terminal block



July 21, 1970 H, E

LAMP MOUNTING TERMINAL BLOCK Filed Sept. 26, 1968 IN VE NTOR H/M/S 65 ATT' United States Patent U.S. Cl. 339-55 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A terminal block for use in accurate positioning of electrical lamps having terminal pins extending axially from the ends thereof. The block includes at least one recess with partially circular side walls, at least one holder mounted in each recess for limited rotational movement, openings in the holder for supporting pin-receiving sockets, and pin openings extending through the front cover portion of the block, whereby the connector pins extend through the openings in the cover and into the sockets in the holder, and whereby the holder may move through an arc to accommodate slight rotational misalignment of the pins. The holders and the sockets are urged against the front cover by springs which also serve as electrical conductors and contacts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the present invention is generally that of electrical lighting components, and more particularly that of terminal blocks for receiving the terminal pins of electrical lamps. More particularly, the field is that of terminal blocks which provide for precise positioning of lamp units in a desired position of rotation, along a given axis, and which provide movable sockets which allow for misalignment of the terminal pins in manufacture thereof while preserving the desired lamp position. Additionally, the field is that of terminal blocks for use in appliances in which light bulb replacement is difiicult and wherein guide means for positioning the light bulb in position are desirably included. Also, the field is that of terminal blocks having movable socket and holder units which are resiliently biased into a desired position of use.

Description of the prior art Generally, prior art terminal blocks for fluorescent and like lamps are known, and such blocks are designed to accommodate such lamps and hold them in a desired relation while allowing for inaccuracy in the manufacture thereof. Such terminal blocks, for example, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,414. The present invention is directed to improved terminal blocks of this general type, but differing therefrom in detail. Various other known in prior art constructions have also been adapted to locate fluorescent tubes in a desired position by various means. However, the prior art has not yet provided a simple and elfective block, including external lamp-locating guide means, as well as operative means within the interior thereof for receiving the lamp terminal pins and for allowing both limited rotational and axial movement thereof. However, particularly due to the increased use of complex machines and appliances, such as duplicators and copiers, having compact dimensions, there has been an increasing demand for such a compact, simple and reliable unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in view of the existing need to provide a simple and economical terminal block having the char- 3,521,219 Patented July 21, 1970 acteristics referred to herein, it is an object of the invention to provide a terminal block which includes means for removably mounting a lamp in a desired, fixed position and which inherently makes allowances for any misalignments of lamp terminal pins which may occur during manufacture.

Another object is to provide a terminal block having a simplified construction and including electrically conductive pin-receiving sockets mounted within a body portion having a fixed front cover, and which allows free but limited axial and rotational movement of said sockets within the terminal block.

Another object is to provide a terminal block in which at least two socket units are held in place within a holder which undergoes free but limited movement within a recess, and in which the front cover over the recess includes portions defining openings therein for registration with openings in the sockets as the holder undergoes limited rotational movement.

A further object is to provide a terminal block which includes exterior guide means for receiving an end portion of a lamp to be mounted in the terminal block and for guiding the lamp into a mounted position.

A still further object is to provide a terminal block in which pin-receiving sockets are movably mounted within a holder which may move axially as well as rotationally within the body of the terminal block.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a terminal block which includes contact means for receiving a plug or the like extending outwardly from the rear of the block and in which the contact means receive, on another portion thereof, resilient means for urging the sockets into a pin-engaging position and for providing electrical contacts in any rotational position of the holder supporting the sockets.

These and other objects of the invention, and the manner of their attainment, will become more clearly apparent when considered in conjunction with the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with portions broken away, showing a lamp unit held in position by terminal blocks made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a terminal block of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view, with the rear cover portion removed, of the terminal block assembly;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the terminal block, on an enlarged scale, taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational View showing the inside portion of the rear cover portion of the terminal block of the invention, with the outline of the block shown in phantom lines; and

FIG. 6' is a front elevational view, on a reduced scale, and having portions broken away, showing a modified form of terminal block made according to the invention, for receiving a plurality of lamps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, in greater detail, a description of the preferred embodiments of the invention will be given, and the mode of operation of the terminal blocks will be described. In FIG. 1, a lamp mounting arrangement 10 is shown in which a fluorescent lamp unit 12 is held in place between left and right hand terminal blocks 14, 16. The lamp 12 includes a glass bulb portion 18, a left hand end portion 20 and a right end portion 22, the end portion 20, 22 having terminal pins 24, 26 extending axially from the end faces thereof. Each terminal block 14, 16 is adapted to be received and held in place by fasteners 30 on a portion 28 of an appliance, such as a copier or the like, portions which are desired to be illuminated.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 4, it is shown that, for example, the left hand terminal block 14 includes a body portion 32, a front cover portion 34 having one or more radially inwardly facing surface portions 36 thereof defining one or more openings 38 in the cover 34 for receiving the pins 24 on the lamp 12. The body 32 also includes an offset rear face portion 40 and an outer rear surface 42.

A rear cover unit 44 has the front face portion 46 thereof engaging the rear face 40 of the blade 32, with the rear face 48 of the cover 44 being generally flush with the rear surface 42. Electrical contact means in the form of a connector prong 50 are provided, the prong 50 having an off-setting flange 52 which connects to a flat contact surface 54 lying against the inside surface of the cover 44. A recess 56 is defined in the :body 32 of the terminal block 14 by partially cylindrical side walls 58, each of which terminates respectively'in a horizontally extending top and bottom walls 60, 62, the walls 60, 62 being in the form of chords of a circle which would be formed by circular extensions of the walls 58.

The walls 58 lie on a radius from the geometric center of the recess 56, and an imaginary line therethrough parallel to the walls 58 extends axially of the center of the lamp 12. A socket holder unit 64 is disposed within the recess 56, the holder 64 having exterior, circular side Walls 66, 68 which are complementary in size and shape to the walls 58 and are spaced apart therefrom by a close working clearance, of the order of about 0.005 inch, for example. The holder 64 includes inwardly facing wall portions 70, 72 defining socket receiving means in the form of two axially extending bores 74, 76, for purposes which will now .be described.

Each bore 74, 76 receives a socket 78, 80 therein with a snug but sliding fit. Tapering inner side walls 82 define an opening 84 in the socket 78, and the other sockets, such as socket 80, also include tapered bores (not shown) therein. Means in form of a spring 86 is provided for urging each socket, such as the socket 78, outwardly against the front wall portion 34 of the block 14, whereby the socket 78 is maintained in a position with one pin 24 of a lamp in snug engagement therewith within the opening 84 therein. The rear end of the spring 86 engages the contact 54, thereby maintaining contact between the prong 50 and the socket 78.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2, it is shown that the openings 38- in the front cover 34 of the body 32 are somewhat arcuate or vertically elongated so as to register therewith when the openings 84 in the sockets 78, 80 are in any rotational position of the holder 64.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of guide means in the form of a pair of ribs 88, 90 extending axially outwardly of the block 12, the ribs having downwardly facing exterior surfaces 92, 94 which are partially circular in shape. The ribs are separated from each other by a projection 96 having a flat end face 98. Circular surfaces 92, 94 are disposed at an angle to the end face of the block 12, with the surfaces 92, 94 generally extending downwardly and inwardly toward the openings 34. The guide means are especially useful in lamp replacement or installation where the terminal block assembly is in a difficult-to-reach location within electrical equipment, such as a copier or the like.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the right hand terminal block 16, which is shown in phantom lines to include means such as a plug P for connection to an electrical energy source, is shown as being disposed in position to support the opposite or right hand end of a lamp unit 12. This terminal block 16 includes a body portion 32a, a prong 50a, a rear cover 44a, and is otherwise similar to the left hand terminal block 14, except that a recess 56 is not included therein, and no socket holder 64 is provided. Instead, sockets such as those shown at 78, 80, in FIG. 4, urged into position by a spring such as that shown at 86, are provided within openings which are in a fixed position within the housing 32. Thus, the lamp 12 is fixed against rotation relative to the right hand terminal block 16 after the 'pins 26 are received therein.

Referring now to the operation of the device, in use, for example, lamp 12 is placed in position between the terminal blocks, and the right hand end 22 thereof is positioned so that the pins 26 are positioned within the terminal block 16. Since the sockets provided therein include tapered openings and are axially movable, the exact length of the pins is not critical, and the pins 26 are snugly received in position as the lamp is moved axially, for example, to an extreme right hand position in relation to the mounting arrangement of FIG. 1. Thereupon, with the help of the guides 88, 90 the left hand end of the lamp is positioned with the pins 24 thereof extending through openings 38 in the front wall 34 and into the openings 84 within the sockets 78, 80. It is understood that the left hand block 14 is also, in use, attached to a suitable electrical energy source, such as by a plug similar to that shown at P for the right hand terminal block 16. Although the left hand end portion 20 of the lamp 12 may be slightly out of exact rotational alignment with the right hand end 22, causing the pins 24, 26 to be angularly disposed with respect to one another, the provision of means for allowing rotational movement of the holder 64 as well as axial movement of both the holder 64 and the sockets 78, 80, prevents any such slight misalignment from causing difficulty in installation or orientation.

Another feature of the present invention is that, since the holder 64 is disposed within the recess or behind the front wall portion 34, withdrawing of the pins 24 and removal thereof from the terminal blocks is simplified, since axial movement of the sockets and the socket holder is limited. In addition, the provision of the front cover 34 protect against accidental contact between other electrical conductors and the sockets. Also, the cover 34 serves as a simplified means of locating the sockets themselves against undue axial movement, and eliminates the need to counterbore the holder 64 to provide socket-retaining shoulders.

Referring to FIG. 5, the phantom lines on the contact surface 54 show movement of a socket opening during a typical rotational movement which is permitted by the body 34 while the springs 86 remain in contact with the sockets 7 8, as the holder 64 is rotated.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a different embodiment of the the invention is shown, that is, a terminal block 1412 for holding a plurality of lamps. Since the block 16 is functionally and structurally the same as the corresponding unit 14 for holding one lamp, it will be described only briefly. FIG. 6 shows that the block 14b includes a body 32b, having a front face portion 34b, guides 88b, b, and openings 38b having'sockets 78b 80b therein. For each multiple lamp terminal block 14b, in a typical appliance or device using multiple lamps, an oppositely disposed terminal block is provided, for accommodating the same number of lamps in the same operational manner. Such block also corresponds to the terminal block 16 in construction, differing therefrom only in that plural pairs of sockets and the like are provided.

It will thus be seen, by reference to the foregoing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims, that thepresent invention provides a novel lamp mounting arrangement, including novel terminal blocks,

having numerous advantages and characteristics, including those hereinbefore pointed out, and others which are inherent of the invention.

I claim:

1. A terminal block assembly for supporting and positioning a lamp along a given axis, said lamp having axially extending terminal pins thereon, said assembly comprising, in combination, a body member, a front cover portion which is fixed in relation to said body member, a rear cover portion which is fixed in relation to said body member, partially circular interior side walls formed within said body member, said Walls lying on a radius extending outwardly from said given axis and defining at least one recess within said body extending between said covers along said given axis, a lamp holder unit having partially circular side walls disposed for free but limited rotation within said recess about said axis, said holder including at least two electrically conductive sockets, each having a pin-receiving opening therein for receiving and electrically contacting said terminal pins of said lamp, portions of said front cover defining cover openings in registry with said pin-receiving openings, and means for resiliently urging said sockets toward said front cover portion and for establishing electrical contact between said sockets and means for connection to a source of electrical energy.

2. A terminal block assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said pin-receiving openings in said sockets are defined by tapering interior wall portions.

3. A terminal block assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said cover openings are generally curvilinear for registry with said openings in said sockets in a plurality of rotational positions of said holder unit.

4. A terminal block assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said rear cover unit includes contact means associated therewith for receiving, on one portion thereof, a source of electric energy, and on another portion there of, said means for resilientl urging said sockets toward said front cover.

5. A terminal block assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said terminal block includes fixed guide means having an exterior surface thereon with a shape complementary to the shape of said lamp unit, for engaging and guiding said lamp unit into position for engagement of said pins with said cover openings and said pin-receiving openings.

6. A terminal block as defined in claim 1 which includes a plurality of said recesses, a holder for each recess, a plurality of sockets for each holder, and cover openings for each socket.

7. In combination, a terminal block as defined in claim 1, a second terminal block including socket means therein for receiving axially extending terminal pins on a lamp disposed along a given axis and for maintaining said pins in a position fixed against rotation about said given axis, and a lamp unit extending between said terminal blocks with said terminal pins on said lamp engaged with said sockets.

FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1965 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner I. H. McGLYNN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

